Consumer Updates No Bones About It: Bones are Unsafe for Your Dog

Consumer Updates No Bones About It: Bones are Unsafe for Your Dog.

US FDA Consumer Update: Animal and Veterinary posted April 20, 2010 gives 10 reasons why it’s a bad idea to give your dog a bone:

  1. Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
  2. Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
  3. Bone gets looped around your dog’s lower jaw. This can be frightening or painful for your dog and potentially costly to you, as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.
  4. Bone gets stuck in esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and will need to see your veterinarian.
  5. Bone gets stuck in windpipe. This may happen if your dog accidentally inhales a small enough piece of bone. This is an emergency because your dog will have trouble breathing. Get your pet to your veterinarian immediately!
  6. Bone gets stuck in stomach. It went down just fine, but the bone may be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Depending on the bone’s size, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a procedure in which your veterinarian uses a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools to try to remove the stuck bone from the stomach.
  7. Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
  8. Constipation due to bone fragments. Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they’re very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.
  9. Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
  10. Peritonitis. This nasty, difficult-to-treat bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when bone fragments poke holes in your dog’s stomach or intestines. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog.

2 thoughts on “Consumer Updates No Bones About It: Bones are Unsafe for Your Dog

  1. Interesting…
    There is a big difference between Cooked / Prepared Bones and Raw Bones. Cooked Bones are absolute hazards, but Raw Meaty Bones are a fantastic way to give your dog natures nutrients and a a few hours of chewing bliss. It sounds gross at first, but a little research can uncover some incredible benefits.
    This is a site I found a while back that helped me gain some new insight on the subject: http://www.rawfed.com/myths/

  2. Andrew, thanks for the input. Nice looking blog you have. Do you live in Oregon? We want to include info. about dog resources in the northwest.

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